Honeybee colonies up 44 percent in North Dakota

FARGO, N.D. (AP) - The number of honeybee colonies in North Dakota is up 44 percent.

The Agriculture Department says operations with five or more colonies totaled 82,000 on Jan. 1, up from 57,000 the previous year.

Colonies lost during the first three months of this year totaled 17,000, or 10 percent. That compares with 1 percent in the first quarter of 2015.

North Dakota leads the nation in the production of honey.